170 THE GARDENER. [April 



in their results, we have changed our pLmt five times, always trusting 

 to get the true P. quadrangularis, there being more than one sent out 

 under that name. G. Donaldson. 



Keith Hall. 



PROPAGATING VINES FROM EYES. 



As it has become one of the (juestions of the day whether Vines propa- 

 gated and grown in the usual way in pots or on turves are best for 

 planting the same season, or which of the two systems gives the quick- 

 est results, I venture to give some details of the two systems worked 

 side by side at this place. On entering on the superintendence of the 

 gardens here, in the last week of February 18G8, the getting up of a 

 stock of young Vines for planting was a matter that called for early at- 

 tention. Having visited Mr Simpson at Wortley Hall early the previous 

 autumn, I was very much pleased with the appearance of his young 

 Vines, and was informed by him that they were reared as described 

 by him recently in the ' Gardeners' Chronicle.' I resolved not only to 

 adopt the turf system, but to test it against the more common practice 

 of growing the young plants in pots. The Vines being all pruned on. 

 my arrival here except Lady Downes, Black Alicant, and West St Peter's, 

 along with these, I got from Mr Henderson of Thoresby some Black 

 Hamburgs and Muscats, taken from his cutting-pots ; and the day after 

 their arrival I put one half of them singly in 3-inch pots, and the 

 other half in turves 6 to 9 inches square, with a hole in the centre, 

 which I filled with the same soil used for the eyes in pots. They vrere 

 placed in a Cucumber-house which is used for propagating in the early 

 spring months, and their position here was as good as could be desired. 

 All went on equally for some time, but it soon began to be apparent 

 that those in pots were pushing with greater vigour ; and they 

 rapidly outstripped those in turves, and grew more rapidly and vigor- 

 ously. Waiting for some time, until it became quite evident that 

 those on turves were not going to do so well, with a measure of 

 disappointment I transferred them turf and all into pots, but they 

 never made such fine Vines as those grown in pots from the beginning. 

 So much for turf versus pots in this instance. 



The following spring (of 1869) I had two vineries to plant — one a 

 Muscat, and the other a mixed house, the greater proportion being 

 Black Hamburgs; and being anxious to give the planting of newly- 

 struck plants a trial against those raised the previous spring, in striking 

 the yojing stock I adopted the pot system. Some were shifted into 

 6-inch pots, and some into 10 inches, and from these pots they were 

 transferred into the border. From the enormous quantity of wireworm 



